h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

A12460303

Can you replace - Born 2 December, 1973, in Rostock, Germany1, cyclist Jan Ullrich won his first bike race aged nine. In 1986, he was taken to study in the GDR's sport's training system at the SC Dynamo sports school in Berlin. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, he moved with his trainer to Hamburg.

He was the winner of the 1997 Tour de France (to date the only German to do so), a gold and silver medal in the Sydney Olympics, winner of the Tour of Switzerland and the Tour of Spain, was twice World Time Trial champion and was set to be the next big multiple winner of the Tour de France until the race was dominated by Lance Armstrong. Jan still holds a unique record of having never finished lower than fourth in the Tour de France in the ten years he has been participating. Generally regarded (by Armstrong at least) as the most talented rider in the Pro Tour peleton, he is also possibly the unluckiest (which may explain his rather very fragile confidance). Regarded as one of the best Time Trial riders for many years he has adopted a climbing style where he pedals a very big gear quite slowly, which makes it difficult for him to respond to attack.

With

If the phrase "Always the Bridesmaid" applied to anyone it is to German cyclist Jan Ullrich. Winner of the 1997 Tour de France and so far the only German to do so, winner of a gold and silver medal in the Sydney Olympics, winner of the Tour of Switzerland and the Tour of Spain, twice World Time Trial champion and set to be the next big multiple winner of the Tour de France until the race was dominated by Lance Armstrong. Jan Ullrich still holds a unique record of having never finished lower than fourth in the Tour de France in the ten years he has been participating. Generally regarded (by Armstrong at least) as the most talented rider in the Pro Tour peleton, he is possibly the unluckiest and also has a very fragile confidance. Regarded as one of the best Time Trial riders for many years he has adopted a climbing style where he pedals a very big gear quite slowly, which makes it difficult for him to respond to attack.

The Early Years

Born 2 December 1973 in Rostock, Germany1. He won his first bike race aged nine and was then taken to be educated in the GDR's sport's training system at the SC Dynamo sports school in Berlin in 1986. After the fall of the Berlin Wall he moved with his trainer to Hamburg.

I prefer it this way. Thank you

The thing is, the 'always the bridesmaid' comment would imply that he's only ever come second, which the very next sentence contradicts, which was what made me reword it in the first place. Plus 'Born 2 December 1973 in Rostock, Germany1.' isn't actually a sentence, so I had to find a way of incorporating that somehow.

If you can think of another way of phrasing the 'bridesmaid' comment that explains what you meant, we can look at that. It's not due to hit the Front Page until next week.

Oh sod it leave it the way it is. I've still got the original if people want to read it the way I (underline underline underline) wrote it